Quick Facts
Lorica Segmentata: A chest armour made of horizontal iron strips, connected by leather belts and brass buckles.
Manica: A segmented vambrace, originally from the gladiator arena and cavalry units.
Golden Age: Mainly the 1st to mid-3rd century AD.
- Advantage: Better able to withstand heavy blows and thrusts than mail; compact to store.
Construction: A Puzzle of Iron and Brass
The name lorica segmentata was only invented in the 16th century; the Romans probably called it lorica laminata.
The Plates: The armour consisted of four main parts: two pauldrons and two torso halves. These plates overlapped downwards, so weapons and rainwater slid off.
Flexibility: Thanks to the internal leather belts, the soldier could still bend and twist.
Maintenance: The many brass buckles, hinges and laces made the armour vulnerable. In later versions (such as the Newstead type), these parts were simplified to simple hooks and rivets to make field repairs easier.
Development and Archaeological Types
Although we see the armour everywhere in films, its distribution was complex. It was probably worn alongside the lorica hamata.
Kalkriese Type (c. 9 AD): The earliest form, found at the site of the Varus Disaster.
Corbridge Type (c. 40–100 AD): Named after the famous 'Corbridge Treasure'. This is the most complete set ever found and forms the basis for almost all modern reconstructions.
Newstead Type (c. 160 AD): A simplified version with fewer hinges and larger plates, designed for mass production and less maintenance.
The Manica: The Iron Sleeve
The Manica was a vambrace that used the same segmentation technique as the chest armour.
Origin: For a long time it was believed that the manica was only introduced during the Dacian Wars (101-106 AD) to protect the sword arm against the falx (a deadly sickle sword). However, finds in places like Carlisle show that the manica was already used by legionaries earlier.
Design: Approximately 35 metal strips overlapped upwards. This ensured that a blow to the inside of the elbow was deflected, where the coverage was thickest.
Use: Not only legionaries, but also heavy cavalry and gladiators (such as the dimachaerus or crupellarius) wore this protection.
The Manica with Hand Protection
Recent research and finds (such as in Carlisle) suggest that some manicae extended over the hand.
Hand Protection: The lower plates extended over the wrist and offered almost complete coverage for the hand, without hindering the grip on the gladius.
Variation: Like the chest armour, the manica was often custom-made. Some versions were made of iron, others of a copper alloy, depending on the soldier's status and wallet.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Did every legionary wear a lorica segmentata?
Probably not. Although columns (such as that of Trajan) show them in large numbers, archaeological finds suggest that the mail shirt (lorica hamata) and scale armour (lorica squamata) were more commonly used, especially in the border provinces.
Why did the armour disappear in the 3rd century?
The segmentata was expensive to make and time-consuming to maintain. When the empire fell into crisis, the army switched to the easier to produce and universal mail shirt with long sleeves.
Wasn't it very heavy?
A lorica segmentata weighs about 9 kg. That's lighter than the average mail shirt (10-12 kg), but the weight rested more on the shoulders, which could be tiring during long marches.
Internal Links:
The Lorica Segmentata and Manica provided the Roman soldier with an almost impenetrable defence. Want to know more about the Lorica Squamata (the scale armour) that was often worn by officers?
The Lorica Hamata: The Indestructible Roman Mail Shirt
Subarmalis & Thoracomachus: The Essential Roman Undergarment
European Armour Styles (14th-17th century): Function, History and Characteristics
The Churburg Style (1370-1420): The Transition to Full Plate Armour
